PINE CONE BIOGRAPHY
Scotch pine is a tree well known to the inhabitants of many regions of our country. It grows over a vast territory - from Karelia in the north to Kazakhstan in the south and from western borders countries to Eastern Siberia.
The appearance of the pine is very attractive. The trunk of this tree is especially decorated, covered in the upper part with a smooth bronze-orange bark. Only at the bottom of the trunk is the bark less beautiful - grayish-brownish, with deep cracks. Look clear summer evening to the pine forest. He is very dressed up at this moment. Bronze trunks seem to glow in the rays of the setting sun, and a loose curly crown pleases the eye with a light green color.
Many people have probably seen what ripe pine cones look like. Brownish, woody, slightly larger walnut... When dry - loose, elastic, with protruding scales. Such cones are sometimes scattered in large numbers under old pine trees.
What does a pine cone grow from and how long does it take to develop? Her biography is interesting and deserves a detailed story. Before becoming fully mature, brownish, woody, the lump passes long way development.
It all starts with a small reddish ball the size of a grain of millet. This is what the future lump looks like at a very young age, when she is only a few days old. A lump-grain is born at the end of spring, when young shoots from the buds of a pine begin to grow. At first, these shoots do not yet bear the usual needles, long and green. Instead, we see only short stumps, small whitish processes, pointed at the end. It is at the top of such a young shoot that a small lump is located. Sometimes there are two of them at once. It is not very easy to find a lump on the shoot, it is hardly noticeable. But even the one who sees it is unlikely to guess what it is. Who would think that before him is a small rudiment of a large pine cone? During the summer, the young cone grows up a little, by the fall it reaches the size of a pea, becomes green. In this form, she hibernates. The next spring, its development continues further. The cone greatly increases in size, and by the end of summer it acquires its adult size and shape, but still remains green. By winter, it becomes quite mature, brownish, but does not open. Its scales are tightly pressed, and the seeds cannot spill out. Seeds are scattered later - only in the third spring, in dry sunny spring days when the snow has already melted. The cones dry out a lot, their scales bulge out and the winged seeds are freed from their long imprisonment.
Such is the biography of a pine cone, if it is presented in more or less detail. As you can see, pine cones ripen for a rather long time - about two years. And the seeds spill out even later - only in the third spring. Pine in this respect is very different from spruce, fir, larch. The cones of these trees are much more early maturing. They ripen by the fall of the first year.
Cones ripen longer Siberian pine, which is incorrectly called cedar. Here the situation is almost the same as in the Scots pine, which we have just met in detail. The bud takes about two years to reach full maturity. Two types of pine - common and Siberian - differ greatly from each other in many ways. In Scots pine, for example, the needles are arranged in pairs, and in the Siberian pine they are collected in bunches of five. In the first tree, the crown is very loose, openwork, lets in a lot of light, in the second, on the contrary, it is dense, dense, strongly shades the soil. Siberian pine is also distinguished by the fact that its cones are much larger and never open. They fall to the ground entirely along with the seeds - those very pine nuts that are familiar to many. The seeds of the Siberian pine are also special - very large, devoid of a winglet, dressed in a strong shell. They cannot be spread by the wind, and they are carried through the forest various birds and animals (nutcracker, chipmunk, etc.).
With two hissing in a row, the word "bumps" entered tongue twisters for children. Well, the commonplace, ironic and humorous "whose cones are in the forest" is already a phrase for adults. But the bumps are no less organically included in the signs. They are varied.
Signs associated with cones conifers for the most part portend a change in the weather:
Scales of spruce and pine cones open up for good weather and warming;
If the cones close, become dense, closed - to bad weather, heavy rain, bad weather;
The closed inflorescences of conifers, their cones, portend a cold snap, the approach of frost.
If the branches of the needles sank low, as if enveloping the cones below, - you need to wait not just for rain, but for a real downpour;
Associated with them are forecasts for more a long period... The abundance of cones on the trees is associated with the expectation of a cold, fierce winter. Especially if forest animals, squirrels - lovers of their seeds - rush through the forest, piling up supplies. it true omen the fact that winter will be not only with severe frosts, but also long.
And vice versa. It is believed that if the cones are not ugly, then the winter will be short and at the same time not very cold.
The location of cones on a tree is also important for predicting the coming cold weather. If they are concentrated in the lower part of the crown, as if hiding under it, early frosts and a long winter are expected. If, on the contrary, they have abundantly covered the top - severe frosts there is no need to wait. And the winter will be shorter than usual.
And finally, there are signs of the expected harvest. It is believed that the harvest for cones also portends a good harvest of cereals, especially spring crops. It is not surprising, therefore, that among the people cones were even used as a kind of barometer.
The plucked large spruce cone was tied to a string and hung on the lintel of the house. By closing and opening its blades, it symbolizes the approaching bad weather no worse than the most accurate device. Or vice versa - the approach of fine days.
Hang such a barometer in your home - original, practical. And it smells like a coniferous forest.
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Other folk signs and superstition.
Signs about cats.
A cat next to a person is 10,000 years old. She is his faithful companion and assistant. During all this time their mutual love did not end. Lovely faces ...
Lose the cross. Signs.
For every person pectoral cross is a reminder of the self-sacrifice and mercy of God. Christ sprinkled and sanctified the cross with blood ...
Omen to knock down a dog.
Our smaller brothers from ancient times were considered akin to the otherworldly force - they are connected with it by threads invisible to humans and are under its protection, therefore, to harm any living creature ...
Pine is the most valuable coniferous species in the territory The Russian state... Its height reaches up to 40 meters. The trunk is strong, visible among others woody plants its brown color. The base of the pine is covered with thicker bark. This is not by chance conceived by nature.
The density of the bark plays a protective role in the plant. Thus, the coniferous beauty is saved in the summer from overheating and from the resulting fires. Outwardly, pine looks like a truly chic tree. Its needles attract attention with their juicy green color.
It is collected in numerous bunches of 2-3 needles and reaches a length of 4 to 7 centimeters. The needles themselves are graceful, have a noticeable longitudinal stripe. In the autumn, some of the coniferous needles fall off.
The rest is covered with a layer of wood wax. The stomata of the needles close, thereby stopping breathing. This allows the tree to save energy for the entire winter period. What else is interesting about the coniferous beauty?
Pine cones. Photos of interesting fruits
It is difficult to find a person who does not know that cones grow on a pine tree. Their size can be compared to a large walnut. If the bump is old, then it is brown. It is woody to the touch, and its scales are loose and bulge in different directions.
Few people know that pine is among the most ancient trees. An ordinary cone with seeds inside is the fruit of an evergreen plant. Female fruits pines are called megastrobiles, men are called microstrobiles.
How a bump is born
It all starts with a small red ball. This is a pine embryo that appears in May, when young shoots begin to break out of the buds on a pine tree. At the beginning of their development, they are not covered with pine needles.
Instead, you can see light processes. In their midst, young seedlings begin to develop. The female pine cone develops at the top of the coniferous shoot.
Usually, by the fall, the seedlings turn green and slightly exceed the size of a pea. The fruits are in approximately this position throughout the winter. In spring, when nature awakens, pine cones continue their development.
Their length reaches from 3 to 7 centimeters. By August, the seedlings reach their usual sizes - 10 centimeters in length and 4 centimeters in width. In the spring, the fruits are actively continuing their development.
By the end of summer, pine cones acquire their adult color - brown. But despite its maturity, the fruit is not yet revealed. The seeds cannot yet spill out due to the strongly pressed scales. But already during this period, the density of the pine cone is higher than that of the fruits of other coniferous trees.
Male and female pine cones
The fruit that is located at the base of the young shoot is called the male pine cone. The female, as already mentioned, is at the top of a pine branch. The structure of the cone is simple - an axis with numerous scales. They have ovules, from which eggs appear. Begins to bear fruit by the age of 20-30.
The male pine cone has the same structure as the female. The only thing is that there are two pollen sacs on the lower scales of the fruit. It is in them that the maturation of pollen and the formation of sperm occurs.
Fertilization occurs when pollen from male fruits gets on the female pine cones of the first year. Until this time, the pollen is at rest. Only after a year does it form a pollen tube, through which sperm tend to archegonia.
One sperm is fused with an egg to form a zygote. Then the embryo begins its development. It is found in tissue, which contains many nutrients. The tissue itself is called primary endospermia.
Adult fruits
Ripe fruits of a coniferous tree have an ovoid-conical shape. They are heavier than the female pine cones of the first year. If you push the sticky scales of mature seedlings apart, you can find noticeable thickenings of an earthy color.
These are shields with edges bent down. Pine cone seeds have transparent wings, with which they are carried by the wind. At first glance, all the fruits of conifers are the same.
But if you look closely, there are differences between the bumps. For example, if you compare pine and spruce, then the shape of the first is more rounded. The length of the pine fruit is shorter than the spruce one. The density of the pine cone differs from that of other conifers. They are heavier than the fruits of spruce or larch.
Where are pine fruits used?
The most valuable thing that coniferous trees can give is medicinal raw materials. In the circle of traditional healers, balms and tinctures are prepared from pine cones. Aromatic jam is brewed. To do this, collect small green pine cones no more than 4 centimeters long.
Making jam
In fact, there are several recipes for making a sweet and healing treat from pine cones. We will consider the most common option. So, first we get the ingredients ready to go.
We need 1 kg of sugar, 10 glasses of water and 1 kg of buds. We wash the fruits in cold water... Then we put them in a deep container, fill with water. It should cover the fruit 2 centimeters from above.
Be sure to cover the dishes with a lid and boil the contents for half an hour. Then we leave the brew in a dark place for 12 hours. After the mass has been infused, the cones should be separated from the solution.
At this point, it will be green. We mix the liquid with sugar in equal proportions. This mass should be cooked over low heat until it starts to spread.
Finally, add a few bumps and cook for another 5 minutes. Beautiful and healthy jam ready! It has juicy It remains to pour the mass into jars and enjoy delicious delicacy the whole cold season!
Useful for diseases gastrointestinal tract and inflammation of the respiratory tract. It is also recommended for people with general depletion of the body.
Useful properties of pine cones
V folk medicine use raw materials from coniferous fruit trees with low hemoglobin, polyarthritis, pneumonia, vitamin deficiency, acute respiratory diseases.
The pollen of the cone contains essential oil, carotene, ascorbic and resin acids. Due to their medicinal properties, a large number of medicinal recipes are devoted to pine fruits.
For example, for bronchitis and other colds, you should take one tablespoon of crushed bumps and pour half a liter of hot water. This tincture should be kept for 12 hours, then drink a little during the day before meals.
Another drug, rich in medicinal properties, is used for diseases of bones, joints and broncho-pulmonary inflammation. Here's how to prepare this tincture: cut 10 pieces of green cones into a suitable container, pour 1 liter of vodka and close tightly.
It should be insisted for 40 days, remembering to shake. If you do this regularly, then beneficial features cones saturate the liquid faster. After the expiration of the term, strain the resulting drug.
The tincture should be reddish brown in color. The use of such a medicine is possible not only for ingestion, but also for local rubbing.
Coniferous fruit preparations - first assistants
Pine cone tincture is an excellent cough suppressant. If you have not yet supplemented your course of treatment with them, then it is high time to do so. To prepare the tincture, you will need to take 50 grams of green pine cones for 2 cups of boiling water.
First, pour the fruits with water, then insist for 2-3 hours in a warm place. Strain the resulting infusion through a gauze filter. If a drug is being prepared for a child, then to improve the taste, you can add 500 grams of granulated sugar to the infusion and cook until a viscous syrup is obtained. A delicious and healing preparation is ready! It is recommended to take it daily for 5-6 tablespoons.
For those patients who overcame a cough, traditional healers advise pouring 5 pine cones with a glass of boiling water, cover the infusion with a warm cloth and insist for 40-45 minutes. Take 2-3 sips at the beginning of a cough.
Also, the therapeutic effect can be obtained with the help of inhalation. To do this, take a spacious dish, boil 1 liter of water in it and add 5-6 pre-washed pine cones.
Boil them for 5 minutes over low heat under a closed lid. Then turn off the gas, open the lid, let off some steam. Next, you need to bend over the dishes, covered with a towel.
Take inhalations within 10 minutes. This method works great for nasal congestion, has anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties.
Healing infusions
For the prevention or recovery after a stroke, an infusion of pine gifts helps perfectly: pour five mature cones with 250 g of alcohol (70%). Insist 10 days at room temperature, strain and add 1 teaspoon to the resulting infusion apple cider vinegar.
This medication is recommended to be taken once after meals for six months. To relieve joint swelling with polyarthritis, you can prepare a bath solution. Take cones, water in equal proportions and boil in a deep container for about half an hour.
Then remove from heat, let the broth brew for 12 hours, strain. You should get a brown liquid with a wonderful pine scent! For the full volume of a standard bath, you will need 2 liters of miraculous infusion. It is recommended to take warm baths for 15 to 20 minutes. This treatment should be continued until the pain subsides.
and pine cones
Unfortunately, with age, the human immune system weakens. Increasingly, it is difficult to overcome infectious diseases... The body is aging.
However, scientists believe it is possible to stop the degradation of the immune system. It has been proven that pine cones extract and decoction are able to perfectly resist the influence of harmful viruses and bacteria.
Therefore, these drugs can renew immune system a person, allowing him to maintain his body in good shape. Therefore, it is recommended to use drugs made from pine cones at least once a year for prevention.
Despite their wide application in traditional medicine, a preliminary consultation with a doctor is still necessary. Contraindications: this should be attributed with caution to those people who suffer from kidney disease, allergic reactions, pregnant and lactating mothers.
Pine fruit balm
It is unfair to bypass this medicinal alcoholic drink. It is valued as a sedative and tonic. Usually, the balm formulation includes a mixture of various medicinal raw materials.
In this case, consider the preparation of a drug from pine cones and needles. It should be noted that the manufacture of balm is a laborious process and requires meticulous fulfillment of all requirements. However, if desired, it is quite possible to obtain a balm from the coniferous gifts of nature at home.
So, you should take 3 tablespoons of chopped pine cones and 1.5 tablespoons of pine needles. Mix the components, place them in a glass jar and pour 70% alcohol in a volume of 500 milliliters.
Close the container with a tight lid and put in dark place... After 30 days, strain the resulting infusion, add 2-3 tablespoons of any berry syrup and leave for about 3 more days.
Ideally, you should get a brown infusion with a tart taste and pleasant aroma. It should be noted that all balms are used in small dosages. Most often they are added in 1-2 teaspoons to coffee, tea, mineral water... These are immune-strengthening drugs with prophylactic properties against inflammatory and viral diseases.
Fans of esotericism attribute unusual properties to the fruits of conifers. For example, it is believed that if you keep pine cones in a dwelling, then the energy of the house is purified.
Households are not threatened by the evil eye and other negative phenomena. Along with this, the bactericidal properties of coniferous fruits prevent the development of respiratory diseases in humans.
And by holding a pine cone in your hands for several minutes, you can get rid of the negative energy that has accumulated over the whole day. After that, the pine fruit should be thrown away.
It is also a good idea to apply wonderful coniferous gifts to bruised areas. They are great at pulling out pain. Few suspect that pine stems are excellent natural and soles.
Make it accessible to everyone! To do this, you need to collect slightly open mature pine cones, dry well. Place them in a box and step on them while sitting on the stool.
By the same principle, you can massage your back. Only the cones should be laid out on the rug, and then lie on them blue. For those whose skin is very sensitive, it is recommended to cover the pine fruits with a medium-weight cloth.
Pine cones are not only in medicine
What wonderful decorations and crafts you can make from pine cones! Nature has endowed this fruit with a beautiful shape. It remains only to dream a little and discover a great decoration element - pine cones!
The photo clearly demonstrates that the gift of a coniferous tree can be coated with golden artistic varnish. Or dazzle the imagination of others by painting the buds with bright acrylic paints. If you make beautiful ribbons for such products, you get unusual Christmas tree toys for the New Year.
Original picture frames, candlesticks, children's compositions from pine cones retain their texture and original appearance for a long time. Such creative products give others the aroma of coniferous wood and high spirits!
The use of pine cone tinctures for the treatment of strokes has been used in folk medicine for a long time. The drug has proven to be quite effective remedy fight the disease. Almost no contraindications and allergic reactions. In addition, pine cones have a complex effect on the patient's body, improve the work of vital important organs and have a positive effect on the restoration of the immune system.
Since ancient times, pine forests have been considered a place for the complex restoration of the respiratory, cardiovascular and food systems. The most valuable part of conifers with medical point view are pine cones.
They include the following substances and components:
- essential oils. They have a bactericidal and stimulating effect. Have a beneficial effect on nervous system, soothe her and minimize the risks of depression. Essential oils are used both as tinctures and for making various ointments or during aromatherapy treatments. Essential oils include limonene, bornyl acetate and pinene;
- vitamins and minerals. The buds contain a full range of vitamins necessary to ensure the normal functioning of the body. Among them there are those that are rarely found in other plants.
Buds contain a lot of phytoncides and tannins. These substances have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. Promotes an increase in blood oxygen saturation, improve blood circulation and minimize the risk of blood clots.
Due to the presence of pycnogenol, preparations from cones are considered powerful antioxidants, they cleanse the walls of blood vessels, relieve them of already formed sclerotic plaques. The last Scientific research proved the ability of preparations from cones to accelerate the regeneration of capillaries.
When and how to harvest pine cones
When and how to collect pine cones - the main rules
For the preparation of medicines, immature cones are used until the opening and rash of seeds. They must have green color, soft in consistency, with a sharp pleasant smell. The specific ripening time depends on climatic zone growing pine, but in most cases, the collection can be done in late summer or early autumn. The length of the cones should be within 4 cm, the diameter is at least 3 cm. Opened or hard brown fruits are not suitable for the preparation of preparations.
It is much easier to pick cones from young, low trees, such as can be found in old clearings. It is not recommended to procure medicines on diseased trees with significant signs of insect damage. Bacterial diseases of the tree are the reason for the refusal to harvest the cones. Do not pick cones from trees growing near roads and highways. The salts of heavy metals present in the exhaust gases of cars settle on the cones and not only significantly reduce the therapeutic effect, but can also cause complex poisoning.
During harvesting, you need to try not to harm trees, do not break thin branches. You should not cut off the whole tree to the last cone, it is recommended to leave at least 30% of the the total recovery natural processes growth of the tree. It is important to know that infusions and decoctions can only be made from fresh cones, it is impractical to harvest them for future use - after drying, more than half of all nutrients are lost.
What is the effect of folk remedies from cones
In traditional therapy of pre-stroke and post-stroke conditions, tinctures are mainly used. Only young unopened fruits are suitable for cooking, they have the maximum set of nutrients and can have a noticeable positive effect on the course of the disease.
Pine cones preparations promote active regeneration nerve cells brain. Thereby:
- improves clinical picture paralysis and paresis. The patient quickly restores motor movements, there is a gradual natural renewal of the conduction of nerve impulses to muscle tissues;
- speech improves. After a stroke, damaged brain cells begin to regenerate. Those areas that were affected as a result of acute oxygen starvation begin to gradually restore their original physiological abilities;
- spatial orientation significantly improves, coordination of movements becomes meaningful, the patient develops basic self-service skills;
- the body's immunity increases, the risks of the appearance of dangerous concomitant diseases decrease. This is especially important for patients who have been in a motionless lying position for a long time;
- blood vessels are cleaned, blood circulation in the capillaries of the brain is restored;
- relieve stress and depressive states, the work of the psyche is normalized.
The complex of such positive effects in combination with traditional methods of treating the disease accelerate the patient's recovery process, significantly reduce Negative consequences stroke.
Several effective recipes
Recipe 1
Take five heaped tablespoons of finely ground green pine cones and put them in 250 ml rubbing alcohol. Insist only in a dark, cool place with occasional stirring, infusion time at least two weeks.
Cones should be crushed immediately before preparing the tincture; cooking for future use is not allowed. After insisting, strain the resulting solution through several layers of gauze or a very thin sieve, add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, shake well. Seal the container tightly with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
The storage time is not limited, but it is not recommended to prepare too much of the preparation. Drink the infusion immediately after eating in a tea room, before using the medicine, dilute the medicine in a small amount of water. The duration of the course is no more than six months, the drug should be used during a stable remission of the disease.
Recipe 2
By any method, grind young green fruits to a mushy state, pour the prepared preparation into a clean glass jar and pour hot water, but not boiling water. A tablespoon of crushed buds will need 1 liter of water. Wrap the jar with a warm woolen cloth and leave for one hour to infuse. When a sediment appears at the bottom, you can filter the drug, pour it into a clean dish, seal it tightly and refrigerate. The tincture is taken several sips before meals. To enhance the therapeutic effect, a tablespoon of fresh linden honey can be added per liter of the drug.
Contraindications and side effects
The density of the bark plays a protective role in the plant. Thus, the coniferous beauty is saved in the summer from overheating and from the resulting fires. Outwardly, pine looks like a truly chic tree. Its needles attract attention with their juicy green color.
It is collected in numerous bunches of 2-3 needles and reaches a length of 4 to 7 centimeters. The needles themselves are graceful, have a noticeable longitudinal stripe. In the autumn, some of the coniferous needles fall off.
The rest is covered with a layer of wood wax. The stomata of the needles close, thereby stopping breathing. This allows the tree to save energy for the entire winter period. What else is interesting about the coniferous beauty?
It is difficult to find a person who does not know that cones grow on a pine tree. Their size can be compared to a large walnut. If the bump is old, then it is brown. It is woody to the touch, and its scales are loose and bulge in different directions.
Few people know that pine is among the most ancient trees. An ordinary cone with seeds inside is the fruit of an evergreen plant. The female fruits of the pine are called megastrobiles, the male ones are called microstrobiles.
It all starts with a small red ball. This is a pine embryo that appears in May, when young shoots begin to break out of the buds on a pine tree. At the beginning of their development, they are not covered with pine needles.
Instead, you can see light processes. In their midst, young seedlings begin to develop. The female pine cone develops at the top of the coniferous shoot.
Usually, by the fall, the seedlings turn green and slightly exceed the size of a pea. The fruits are in approximately this position throughout the winter. In spring, when nature awakens, pine cones continue their development.
Their length reaches from 3 to 7 centimeters. By August, the seedlings reach their usual sizes - 10 centimeters in length and 4 centimeters in width. In the spring, the fruits are actively continuing their development.
By the end of summer, pine cones acquire their adult color - brown. But despite its maturity, the fruit is not yet revealed. The seeds cannot yet spill out due to the strongly pressed scales. But already during this period, the density of the pine cone is higher than that of the fruits of other coniferous trees.
The fruit of the coniferous tree, which is located at the base of the young shoot, is called the male pine cone. The female, as already mentioned, is at the top of a pine branch. The structure of the cone is simple - an axis with numerous scales. They have ovules, from which eggs appear. Scots pine begins to bear fruit by the age of 20-30.
The male pine cone has the same structure as the female. The only thing is that there are two pollen sacs on the lower scales of the fruit. It is in them that the maturation of pollen and the formation of sperm occurs.
Fertilization occurs when pollen from male fruits gets on the female pine cones of the first year. Until this time, the pollen is at rest. Only after a year does it form a pollen tube, through which sperm tend to archegonia.
One sperm is fused with an egg to form a zygote. Then the embryo begins its development. It is found in tissue, which contains many nutrients. The tissue itself is called primary endospermia.
Ripe fruits of a coniferous tree have an ovoid-conical shape. They are heavier than the female pine cones of the first year. If you push the sticky scales of mature seedlings apart, you can find noticeable thickenings of an earthy color.
These are shields with edges bent down. Pine cone seeds have transparent wings, with which they are carried by the wind. At first glance, all the fruits of conifers are the same.
But if you look closely, there are differences between the bumps. For example, if you compare pine and spruce, then the shape of the first is more rounded. The length of the pine fruit is shorter than the spruce one. The density of the pine cone differs from that of other conifers. They are heavier than the fruits of spruce or larch.
The most valuable thing that coniferous trees can give is medicinal raw materials. In the circle of traditional healers, balms and tinctures are prepared from pine cones. Aromatic jam is brewed. To do this, collect small green pine cones no more than 4 centimeters long.
In fact, there are several recipes for making a sweet and healing treat from pine cones. We will consider the most common option. So, first we get the ingredients ready to go.
We need 1 kg of sugar, 10 glasses of water and 1 kg of buds. We wash the fruits in cold water. Then we put them in a deep container, fill with water. It should cover the fruit 2 centimeters from above.
Be sure to cover the dishes with a lid and boil the contents for half an hour. Then we leave the brew in a dark place for 12 hours. After the mass has been infused, the cones should be separated from the solution.
At this point, it will be green. We mix the liquid with sugar in equal proportions. This mass should be cooked over low heat until it starts to spread.
Finally, add a few bumps and cook for another 5 minutes. Beautiful and healthy jam is ready! It has a juicy crimson color. It remains to pour the mass into jars and enjoy a delicious delicacy throughout the cold season!
Pine cone jam is useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and inflammation of the respiratory tract. It is also recommended for people with general depletion of the body.
In folk medicine, raw materials from coniferous fruit trees are used with low hemoglobin, polyarthritis, pneumonia, vitamin deficiency, and acute respiratory diseases.
The pollen of the cone contains essential oil, carotene, ascorbic and resin acids. Due to their medicinal properties, a large number of medicinal recipes are devoted to pine fruits.
For example, for bronchitis and other colds, you should take one tablespoon of crushed bumps and pour half a liter of hot water. This tincture should be kept for 12 hours, then drink a little during the day before meals.
Another drug, rich in medicinal properties, is used for diseases of bones, joints and broncho-pulmonary inflammation. Here's how to prepare this tincture: cut 10 pieces of green cones into a suitable container, pour 1 liter of vodka and close tightly.
It should be insisted for 40 days, remembering to shake. If you do this regularly, the beneficial properties of the buds will saturate the liquid faster. After the expiration of the term, strain the resulting drug.
The tincture should be reddish brown in color. The use of such a medicine is possible not only for ingestion, but also for local rubbing.
Pine cone tincture is an excellent cough suppressant. If you have not yet supplemented your course of treatment with them, then it is high time to do so. To prepare the tincture, you will need to take 50 grams of green pine cones for 2 cups of boiling water.
First, pour the fruits with water, then insist for 2-3 hours in a warm place. Strain the resulting infusion through a gauze filter. If a drug is being prepared for a child, then to improve the taste, you can add 500 grams of granulated sugar to the infusion and cook until a viscous syrup is obtained. A delicious and healing preparation is ready! It is recommended to take it daily for 5-6 tablespoons.
For those patients who overcame a cough, traditional healers advise pouring 5 pine cones with a glass of boiling water, cover the infusion with a warm cloth and insist for 40-45 minutes. Take 2-3 sips at the beginning of a cough.
Also, the therapeutic effect can be obtained with the help of inhalation. To do this, take a spacious dish, boil 1 liter of water in it and add 5-6 pre-washed pine cones.
Boil them for 5 minutes over low heat under a closed lid. Then turn off the gas, open the lid, let off some steam. Next, you need to bend over the dishes, covered with a towel.
Take inhalations within 10 minutes. This method works great for nasal congestion, has anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties.
For the prevention or recovery after a stroke, an infusion of pine gifts helps perfectly: pour five mature cones with 250 g of alcohol (70%). Insist for 10 days at room temperature, strain and add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the resulting infusion.
This medication is recommended to be taken once after meals for six months. To relieve joint swelling with polyarthritis, you can prepare a bath solution. Take cones, water in equal proportions and boil in a deep container for about half an hour.
Then remove from heat, let the broth brew for 12 hours, strain. You should get a brown liquid with a wonderful pine scent! For the full volume of a standard bath, you will need 2 liters of miraculous infusion. It is recommended to take warm baths for 15 to 20 minutes. This treatment should be continued until the pain subsides.
Unfortunately, with age, the human immune system weakens. More and more often we have to overcome infectious diseases with difficulty. The body is aging.
However, scientists believe it is possible to stop the degradation of the immune system. It has been proven that pine cones extract and decoction are able to perfectly resist the influence of harmful viruses and bacteria.
Therefore, these drugs can renew the human immune system, allowing him to keep his body in good shape. Therefore, it is recommended to use drugs made from pine cones at least once a year for prevention.
Despite their widespread use in traditional medicine, prior consultation with a doctor is still necessary. Contraindications: pine cones should be treated with caution by those people who suffer from kidney disease, allergic reactions, pregnant and lactating mothers.
It is unfair to bypass this medicinal alcoholic drink. It is valued as a sedative and tonic. Usually, the balm formulation includes a mixture of various medicinal raw materials.
In this case, consider the preparation of a drug from pine cones and needles. It should be noted that the manufacture of balm is a laborious process and requires meticulous fulfillment of all requirements. However, if desired, it is quite possible to obtain a balm from the coniferous gifts of nature at home.
So, you should take 3 tablespoons of chopped pine cones and 1.5 tablespoons of pine needles. Mix the components, place them in a glass jar and pour 70% alcohol in a volume of 500 milliliters.
Close the container with a tight lid and put in a dark place. After 30 days, strain the resulting infusion, add 2-3 tablespoons of any berry syrup and leave for about 3 more days.
Ideally, you should get a brown infusion with a tart taste and pleasant aroma. It should be noted that all balms are used in small dosages. Most often they are added in 1-2 teaspoons to coffee, tea, mineral water. These are immune-strengthening drugs with prophylactic properties against inflammatory and viral diseases.
Fans of esotericism attribute unusual properties to the fruits of conifers. For example, it is believed that if you keep pine cones in a dwelling, then the energy of the house is purified.
Households are not threatened by the evil eye and other negative phenomena. Along with this, the bactericidal properties of coniferous fruits prevent the development of respiratory diseases in humans.
And by holding a pine cone in your hands for several minutes, you can get rid of the negative energy that has accumulated over the whole day. After that, the pine fruit should be thrown away.
It is also a good idea to apply wonderful coniferous gifts to bruised areas. They are great at pulling out pain. Few suspect that pine fruit is an excellent natural back and foot massager.
Make it accessible to everyone! To do this, you need to collect slightly open mature pine cones, dry well. Place them in a box and step on them while sitting on the stool.
By the same principle, you can massage your back. Only the cones should be laid out on the rug, and then lie on them blue. For those whose skin is very sensitive, it is recommended to cover the pine fruits with a medium-weight cloth.
What wonderful decorations and crafts you can make from pine cones! Nature has endowed this fruit with a beautiful shape. It remains only to dream a little and discover a great decoration element - pine cones!
The photo clearly demonstrates that the gift of a coniferous tree can be coated with golden artistic varnish. Or dazzle the imagination of others by painting the buds with bright acrylic paints. If you make beautiful ribbons for such products, you get unusual Christmas tree toys for the New Year.
Original picture frames, candlesticks, children's compositions from pine cones retain their texture and original appearance for a long time. Such creative products give others the aroma of coniferous wood and high spirits!
Everyone has probably seen what a pinecone looks like. Brown, woody, larger than a walnut. Under the old pines, you can see a lot of dry, loose, with protruding scales of cones.
Flowers at pine does not happen - it never blooms. But she has strobiles: male - microstrobiles and female - megastrobiles. Cones are the fruit with the seeds collected in them.
The life of a pine cone begins with the formation of a small, millet-sized ball of red color. This is what a pine bud looks like when it's only a few days old. Such an embryo appears at the end of spring, when young shoots begin to form from the buds on the tree. At first, these shoots do not yet have pine needles (needles). Instead, you can see a kind of short stumps, which are whitish, pointed at the ends of the processes. At the top of this shoot is a small lump. In some cases, there are 2 of them. It is extremely difficult to find such a lump - it is barely noticeable. But even if they notice her, they hardly guess what it is. It never occurs to anyone that this little rudiment is the big shot in the future.
During the summer, the pine cone grows and by autumn it already becomes green, reaching the size of a pea. It remains in this stage throughout the winter. With the onset of spring, its development continues further. The fruitfulness becomes much larger. The size of a pine cone at this time is 2.5-7 cm. And at the end of summer it reaches its adult size (8-10 cm in length and 3-4 cm in width). By the next winter, it becomes brown, fully mature, but does not open. Her scales are also tightly pressed, so the seeds still cannot spill out. They can do this only in their third spring, the snow has already melted for years, and the days have become dry and sunny. Compound fruits begin to dry out, as a result of which their scales bulge out and winged seeds fly out into the wild.
The tree begins to bear fruit by the age of 15-30. You can notice this by the appearance of small reddish bumps. These are the female cones of the Scots pine. Such a cone consists of a rod (axis) with scales located on it. On them lie unprotected, one might say, naked (hence the name "gymnosperms") ovules, in which eggs are formed.
If the female cones are at the top of the young shoot, then the male cones are at the base. Unlike female cones, male pine cones are smaller, oval, yellow color and are concentrated in close groups.
The structure of male pine cones: main axis with scales located on it. The underside of each scale has 2 pollen sacs. In these sacs, pollen matures, where later sperm - male reproductive cells - are formed. After fertilization, the male fruit soon dies off.
As you know, fertilization occurs only a year after the pollen from the male cone reaches the female. During all this time, the pollen that got on the ovules was at rest. And only after a year does it germinate, forming a pollen tube that carries sperm to the archegonia. As a result, one fuses with the egg. Further, the embryo begins to develop from the zygote. And the ovules turn into a seed. The embryo itself is located in the tissue of the female gametophyte, where by this time many nutrients have been accumulated. This tissue is also called the primary endosperm. The seed is covered with a hard skin, under which there is a thin film. The film and skin are formed from ovule tissue. They are diploid. The endosperm, as the vegetative component of the gametophyte, is haploid, and the embryo is diploid. At the end next winter a mature female cone will turn brown and reach 4-6 cm.
A mature pine cone of ovoid-conical shape. It has a ripe seed with a transparent wing. With the spreading of the scales of the female cone, it becomes clear that the seeds are located in pairs on top of the scales. The thickening is clearly visible on the scales. gray- a kind of rhomboid shields with 4-6 edges, which are bent downward. Each seed has a wing that is needed to be carried by the wind.
It turns out that not everyone can distinguish cones from different conifers. It would seem that they should be the same, but in fact, all the fruit trees of conifers differ from each other.
Hanging pine stems, located on a short handle, one or more pieces. Their shape is cylindrical. 8-10 cm long, 3-4 cm wide. The scales are hard, woody. The apophyses have a vaulted-convex shape. At the apex there is a convex obtuse navel.
The spruce cone is formed by covering scales, which are arranged spirally; there are 2 ovules in their sinuses. The shape is oblong-cylindrical, pointed. A mature cone is hanging, dry, woody or leathery. Length - up to 15 cm, width 3-4 cm.
Larch seed fruit is round, ovoid, and can be almost cylindrical. Unlike spruce and pine, its seed is firmly attached to its wing.
In addition to the shape and structure, the difference between pine and spruce cones, as well as larch, lies in their ripening. If pine cones are "ready" only in the second year, then spruce and larches ripen in the year of flowering.
They also differ in density. Pine is heavier than spruce. So, a bucket of spruce cones weighs about 5 kg, then 5-7 kg of pine. On average, the density of a pine cone is about 600 kg / m3.
When to harvest pine cones depends on the purpose of the harvest. In the spring, after fertilization, the male cone dies off, as well as female “specimens” of the second year of life that have released seeds. Such "spreads" can be collected throughout the summer. However, except for children's crafts and for decorative purposes, they cannot be used anywhere else. Although in recent times quite often there are advertisements for the sale of pine cones ... in bags. It turns out that they are used in landscape gardening for mulching trees, all the same coniferous forms. By the way, in the old days samovars were heated with pine cones.
But there is something else, more useful application cones. In folk medicine, young pine cones have been used for a long time. The resin in their composition makes the bumps effective for treatment colds, bronchitis, joint diseases and even stroke. For these purposes honey, jam, tinctures, balms are boiled from them.
For medicinal purposes, small, resinous, green bumps are used. For jam, you need to take those bumps that are easily pierced with a fingernail or cut with a knife. As a rule, their length reaches 1-4 cm. You can start collecting them from mid-May and the entire first decade of June. From such young green cones, honey turns out to be of a surprisingly beautiful raspberry color. Its consistency is almost like natural. If the spring is cold and late, with prolonged frosts and long melting snow, then the collection of cones can be slightly extended. Conversely, for warm spring it is better to finish it in early June.
As you know, mulching is necessary to restore the unprotected soil surface, as well as to hide its defects. Recently, it is very common to see pine cones under the trees in the garden. The advantage of such mulching is not only the naturalness of the material, but also high decorative and aesthetic characteristics. In addition, natural natural material increases the physicochemical indicators of the upper soil layer, and also activates the development of microorganisms that are useful for trees. Due to its porous structure, this mulch maintains an optimal moisture level even in dry periods. Pine cones, as a natural material, provide the necessary temperature regime: in winter they protect the soil from hypothermia, and in summer time- from negative sun exposure and overheating. Mulching with pine material evens out daily temperature fluctuations in autumn and spring, and also inhibits the growth of weeds. The soil under such material breathes, passes
water and air. Natural mulch regulates the acidity of the soil, enriches it with oxygen.
In general, cone mulch conifers trees has a lot of useful properties:
- Aesthetically beautiful appearance plot;
- Resistant to rotting processes and mold formation;
- Since pine trees do not contain an allergen, the mulching material is also hypoallergenic;
- Mulch has antibacterial properties: wood-boring beetles do not live in it. Therefore, there is no need to chemically treat the mulching material, as it is necessary to do when mulching with materials of other tree species;
- Contains antioxidants - substances that contribute to the body's fight against aging and the occurrence of various kinds of diseases, which is especially characteristic in conditions of radiation, stress and a polluted environment;
- Contains natural flavonoids. Getting into Airways, these substances prevent the occurrence of colds and viral diseases.
In addition to mulching and medicinal uses, pine cones can be amazing materials for room design, crafts, and more.
A photo of pine cones clearly demonstrates their singularity and beauty. It is necessary to apply just a little imagination and pine "spreads" will take a worthy place in the house, garden, in the country. You can use them the most different ways... You can even divide it into separate small petals and make some kind of composition. And you can use the whole bumps. At the same time, it is not at all necessary that it should be a New Year's composition. There are many options, the possibilities can be limited only by imagination.
They can decorate candlesticks, mirrors, paintings, make panels and other compositions. It is better to fix the cone specimens with the help of reliable glue, since this material is quite specific. You can simply cover the bumps with paint or "silver". This makes wonderful Christmas decorations. Such specimens look great in the garden as decorations. And sometimes they just heat the fireplaces in country houses.
It has been noticed that it is easier to breathe in pine forests. These are volatile phytoncides that pines secrete, so they affect the human body. No wonder all the sanatoriums specializing in the treatment of patients with tuberculosis and others pulmonary diseases, build in pine forests.
All parts of the plant have healing properties: needles, wood, buds, pine oil, as well as cones.
When the green pine cones are harvested
For green cones, they go to the pine forest in which adult pines grow. After all, the pine begins to bear fruit after thirty years.
Despite the large number of phytoncides that have a detrimental effect on pathogenic microbes, trees absorb well harmful substances from the external environment, therefore, the collection of cones is carried out away from highways and harmful industrial facilities.
The appearance time of green cones depends on climatic conditions the area in which pines grow. In warmer regions, this is the month of May, and in Siberia, cones may appear one - one and a half months later.
First, yellow-gray male spikelets and female small reddish bumps appear on the branches. Despite the fact that the seeds in the buds mature after 18 months, the buds themselves grow very quickly. And in order to prepare young green bumps, you need to carefully monitor their growth and color change.
After all, reddish small bumps soon begin to grow, while changing their color to pale green.
The green buds are covered with sticky resin, they are soft, so they can be easily cut with a knife. Their size when harvesting big role does not play. They can be very small - only one centimeter in length, and already grown up to 4 cm. The main thing is that they are soft and green.
Opinions differ on how to wash buds. Many purveyors wash the cones before further use. But, as practice shows, they advise knowledgeable people, green cones better not to wash. After all, they are so small that they have not yet had time to get dusty! And when washing, the bumps are deprived of many useful substances, in particular - resinous ones, for which they are collected.
The use of pine cone tinctures for the treatment of strokes has been used in folk medicine for a long time. The drug has established itself as a fairly effective means of combating the disease. Almost no contraindications and allergic reactions. In addition, pine cones have a complex effect on the patient's body, improve the functioning of vital organs and have a positive effect on the restoration of the immune system.
Pine cones
Active biological substances that have a medicinal effect
Since ancient times, pine forests have been considered a place for the complex restoration of the respiratory, cardiovascular and food systems. Pine cones are considered to be the most valuable part of conifers from a medical point of view.
Why bumps are useful
They include the following substances and components:
- essential oils. They have a bactericidal and stimulating effect. They have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, soothe it and minimize the risks of depressive conditions. Essential oils are used both as tinctures and for making various ointments or during aromatherapy treatments. Essential oils include limonene, bornyl acetate and pinene;
- vitamins and minerals. The buds contain a full range of vitamins necessary to ensure the normal functioning of the body. Among them there are those that are rarely found in other plants.
Pine cones in folk medicine
Buds contain a lot of phytoncides and tannins. These substances have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. Promotes an increase in blood oxygen saturation, improve blood circulation and minimize the risk of blood clots.
Due to the presence of pycnogenol, preparations from cones are considered powerful antioxidants, they cleanse the walls of blood vessels, relieve them of already formed sclerotic plaques. Recent scientific studies have proven the ability of cone preparations to accelerate capillary regeneration.
Decoctions, preserves or infusions made from cones are very useful.
When and how to harvest pine cones
When and how to collect pine cones - the main rules
For the preparation of medicines, immature cones are used until the opening and rash of seeds. They should have a green color, soft in consistency, with a sharp pleasant odor. The specific ripening times depend on the climatic zone of pine growth, but in most cases, the collection can be done in late summer or early autumn. The length of the cones should be within 4 cm, the diameter is at least 3 cm. Opened or hard brown fruits are not suitable for the preparation of preparations.
Only green buds are harvested for treatment.
It is much easier to pick cones from young, low trees, such as can be found in old clearings. It is not recommended to procure medicines on diseased trees with significant signs of insect damage. Bacterial diseases of the tree are the reason for the refusal to harvest the cones. Do not pick cones from trees growing near roads and highways. The salts of heavy metals present in the exhaust gases of cars settle on the cones and not only significantly reduce the therapeutic effect, but can also cause complex poisoning.
Do not collect near roads
During harvesting, you need to try not to harm trees, do not break thin branches. You should not cut off the entire tree to the last cone; it is recommended to leave at least 30% of the total amount to restore the natural growth processes of the tree. It is important to know that infusions and decoctions can only be made from fresh cones, it is impractical to harvest them for future use - after drying, more than half of all nutrients are lost.
In the photo, the process of collecting cones
What is the effect of folk remedies from cones
In traditional therapy of pre-stroke and post-stroke conditions, tinctures are mainly used. Only young unopened fruits are suitable for cooking, they have the maximum set of nutrients and can have a noticeable positive effect on the course of the disease.
Infusion of pine cones
Pine cones preparations promote active regeneration of nerve cells in the brain. Thereby:
- the clinical picture of paralysis and paresis improves. The patient quickly restores motor movements, there is a gradual natural renewal of the conduction of nerve impulses to muscle tissues;
- speech improves. After a stroke, damaged brain cells begin to regenerate. Those areas that were affected as a result of acute oxygen starvation begin to gradually restore their original physiological abilities;
- spatial orientation significantly improves, coordination of movements becomes meaningful, the patient develops basic self-service skills;
- the body's immunity increases, the risks of the appearance of dangerous concomitant diseases decrease. This is especially important for patients who have been in a motionless lying position for a long time;
- blood vessels are cleaned, blood circulation in the capillaries of the brain is restored;
- stress and depressive conditions are removed, the work of the psyche is normalized.
The benefits of pine cone preparations
The complex of such positive effects, combined with traditional methods of treating the disease, accelerate the patient's recovery process, significantly reduce the negative consequences of a stroke.
Recipe 1
Take five heaped tablespoons of finely ground green pine cones and put them in 250 ml rubbing alcohol. Insist only in a dark, cool place with occasional stirring, infusion time at least two weeks.
Making a tincture of cones
Cones should be crushed immediately before preparing the tincture; cooking for future use is not allowed. After insisting, strain the resulting solution through several layers of gauze or a very thin sieve, add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, shake well. Seal the container tightly with a lid and store in the refrigerator.
In the photo there is a tincture of cones
The storage time is not limited, but it is not recommended to prepare too much of the preparation. Drink the infusion immediately after eating in a tea room, before using the medicine, dilute the medicine in a small amount of water. The duration of the course is no more than six months, the drug should be used during a stable remission of the disease.
Recipe 2
Cooking a tincture of cones in water
By any method, grind young green fruits to a mushy state, pour the prepared preparation into a clean glass jar and pour hot water, but not boiling water. A tablespoon of crushed buds will need 1 liter of water. Wrap the jar with a warm woolen cloth and leave for one hour to infuse. When a sediment appears at the bottom, you can filter the drug, pour it into a clean dish, seal it tightly and refrigerate. The tincture is taken several sips before meals. To enhance the therapeutic effect, a tablespoon of fresh linden honey can be added per liter of the drug.
Pine cones medicines
Medicines based on pine cones have a large quantities biologically active substances, which can cause the occurrence side effects... Medicines should not be used when acute diseases kidney and liver, pregnancy and lactation. It is advisable to test the drug for allergic reactions... If the recommended dose is exceeded, headaches, nausea and diarrhea may appear.
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